Key points about using kein
- Kein is sometimes used instead of nicht to make a sentence negative.
- Kein:
- can be translated as no, not a or not any.
- agrees with the noun it describes and so works in the same way as the indefinite article
- should be declined depending on its Nouns in German are classified into three groups: masculine, feminine or neuter. Each noun therefore has a gender., number and The case shows how nouns function in a sentence and relate to other words. They indicate who is doing an action, who owns something, and who is affected by an action. A preposition can also dictate which case to use..
Using kein
Here are some examples of how kein can work in a sentence:
| Use of kein | Example |
|---|---|
| Use kein when saying ‘no’ in reference to a noun | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again.That is no problem / That is not a problem. |
| Use kein to mean 'not' (negating the existence of something) | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again.He doesn’t have time. |
| Use kein when saying ‘not any’ (plural or quantity) | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again.I don’t have any homework today! |
For example:
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – He has a dog.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – He doesn’t have a dog.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – I am wearing a jacket.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – I am not wearing a jacket.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – I would like a drink.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – I would not like a drink.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – They have homework.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – They don’t have any homework.
Declining kein for gender, number and case
Kein works in the same way as the indefinite article and so needs to decline depending on the gender, number and case of the noun it is negating.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. |
| Accusative | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. |
| Dative | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. |
Mini quiz
Make these sentences negative using the correct form of kein. Remember to check the gender, number and case.
- Check your connection, refresh the page and try again.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – She doesn’t have a sister.
- Check your connection, refresh the page and try again.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – I don’t drink coffee.
- Check your connection, refresh the page and try again.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – We haven’t bought a new car.
Quiz
Complete this multiple-choice quiz to test your understanding of negating nouns using kein.
More on Nouns, determiners and cases
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